Patients with spine curvatures will have tilting of the pelvis which will lead to one hip joint being higher up than the other. Often times these patients were never aware of the SLS nor aware of their spine curvature.

Patients with SLS secondary to scoliosis will have other subtle findings including asymmetrical shoulder heights, a posterior rib cage prominence and asymmetrical waist lines. Patients with SLS will have a short leg limp which can be identified by an experienced clinician. One of the more common findings seen during the examination is a particular walking pattern that is often mistaken as a simple limp. A detailed physical examination can point the physician towards the diagnosis. In particular, an osteopathic trained physician of any specialty, or D.O., has the training and skills to effectively diagnose SLS. An orthopedic surgeon or pain management physician with experience diagnosing and treating these problems can make the diagnoses. Patients with a painless limp without a known cause should also consider being evaluated. If you are suffering from SLS, you should schedule a visit with a RESTORE physician, particularly one well trained in musculoskeletal disorders. How is SLS diagnosed and what is the treatment for SLS? Sciatica (Neuropathic pain radiating the back of the leg).Asymmetric tightness in the Psoas, Glutes, Piriformis, Hamstrings.Neck or Back Pain, Hip, Knee, or Ankle Pain on one or both sides.It is not until our musculoskeletal system is unable to adapt or there is tissue property failure (degeneration) that patients experience pain. For this reason many patients with SLS are pain free. Our musculoskeletal system can temporarily adapt to adverse situations such as short leg syndrome. Even if the SLS is not the root cause of the low back pain, it can result in a SLS and further a patient’s suffering. While back pain can have many causes, SLS represents a largely overlooked source for those suffering from back pain. According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, approximately 26 million Americans between the ages 20-64 suffer from low back pain. Today, back pain plagues the American society. Osteoarthritis of the back, hips, knees, or ankles.Ankle, Knee, Hip injury, Poor Running Biomechanics.Late effects of childhood growth plate injuries/fractures.Normal or abnormal leg length variation.This is when we see the symptoms of SLS.īelow is a limited list of causes of SLS: This chain of events will give way to unequal burden on joints and overuse of certain muscles, possibly leading to early osteoarthritis and muscular compensation in the spine, hip joint, knees, or ankles. Gravity plays a harsh role on our biomechanics, leading to ankle, knee, or pelvic misalignment, sacral unleveling, scoliosis of the lumbar, thoracic, or even cervical spine. This can be caused by muscular, ligamentous, or other soft tissue injuries, overuse, or another dysfunction.Īn injury or other outside influence to any area from the foot to the back will create an imbalance of forces, leading to over compensation of the legs, hips, and spine. On the other hand, if the legs appear to have different lengths but structurally are intact, this is Functional SLS. When one leg is structurally shorter than the other due to bone length differences or other causes, this is called Anatomic SLS. Two different classifications exist for SLS: Anatomic and Functional. SLS can be caused by congenitally different bone lengths and sizes or by acquired deficits between legs that are otherwise structurally intact. Leg length discrepancy up to 1.5 cm (0.6 of an inch) is usually tolerated well into middle age, but by around age 40 the mechanisms the body employs to compensate for this discrepancy begin to fail. The length difference does not have to be large to make a difference in your body. In the simplest terms, one who suffers from SLS will have one leg that is shorter than the other. Short leg syndrome (SLS) is better known in the medical community as Leg Length Discrepancy.

Short spine syndrome